ArtFire

Glass beads from Czechoslovakia were a staple of the Victorian life. They adorned everything from chandeliers to the gowns of fine ladies to neck of shop girls. For this collection of earring I've paired sparkly, faceted Czech glass beads with sleek, cold, metallic gray hematite beads.
I've created these earrings from faceted, dark blue Czech glass beads and faceted hematite beads. Length is 7/8". Earwires are surgical steel.

I wanted to create jewelry to compliment the Steampunk style. I thought about what the Victorian era was. I've used the sparkle of the glass beads to represent the optimism of the Victorians. It was an age of great advances it technology and science. People believed these would better their lives.
Unfortunately for many, technology made their lives worst. They became factory workers, living in factory towns and working at the same job 10 to 14 hours a day six days a week. I've used the hematite not only to the represent the steel of the era but also the gray smoke belching from the factories and bleakness of the factory workers lives.

czech glass beads, hematite